Softball previews coming next week

A few people have asked me when softball previews are coming out and the answer is early next week, either March 28 or 29. Look for breakdowns on each league as well as our first poll. I’ve been so preoccupied covering state playoff basketball that I haven’t been able to get out to a softball game yet. So I’m turning to you, softball fans, to get the discussion going. Will James Logan repeat as Division I champions? Can Concord get back to the Division II title game despite losing three quality pitchers? Will this be the year someone dethrones Freedom in the BVAL? Who are the other teams to watch out for?

D3- I will give O’Dowd the nod since they are the 2 time defending champ. I like Alhambra and Tamalpais to contend as well. So far, the Dragons have had an easy non league schedule. Depending how they do against better teams I may switch to Alhambra.

local coach

Hey Softball Fan, what make you think that Newark will get past Logan? They finished like 3rd in the league last year, what have they done to improve?

sftbalvr

BSAL has some surprising freshman on varsity teams this year. Salesian, Albany and St. Mary’s are starting their freshman pitchers and infielders.

Softball fan

Nothing against Logan. In fact, they are the favorites and if I had to put $$ on a team to win the league, I would pick Logan. That being said, it is a little more fun to pick some upsets!

local coach

I think that the MVAL is going to be tough this year, Newark went to the semi-finals last year, American upset Livermore last year and they return all of their core players . Washington also returns a ton of players. So I think that a couple of teams could challenge Logan this year for the crown!

Davis Gary

It’s pretty difficult to stay on top of who is really who in this great game we try to follow.

There is very little information on the web or with local publications.

You can’t go to every game.

Brackets before and/or after the few tournaments are next to non-existent.

Stampede will have probably 4 or more teams currently ranked in the top 50 in the country by Espn at rise.espn.go.com. Even Amador Valley is sitting “on the bubble” just under this list.

The 16 teams attending are listed at Livermore’s softball teams website. Livermore’s bracket is the only one I have been able to find and is: Livermore, Castro Valley, Alhambra, an Consumnes Oaks.

The local teams represented there will have a chance to shine in the national spotlight if they show up against:Rodriguez (Fairfield), Sheldon (Sacramento), and Johansen (Modesto), let alone Mitty, Oak Ridge, and Consumnes Oaks….Wow! Possibly the strongest Stampede field ever.